1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooking apparatus comprising a cooking chamber comprising an electric resistance browning device for the foods disposed in the interior of said chamber and a device for generation of microwave energy disposed outside the cooking chamber and adapted to supply said chamber with microwave energy, a supply circuit supplying the browning device and/or the device for generation of microwave energy, selection means permitting triggering a heating sequence, said heating sequence causing the browning and/or microwave energy generation device to kick in, and control means which actuate the electrical supply circuit as a function of information from the selection means, said control means comprising a storage memory receiving the information from the selection means and a microprocessor furnishing signals applied to the supply circuit as a function of the information contained in said storage memory.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In known cooking apparatus of this type, when a foodstuff is placed within the cooking chamber, a user commences a heating sequence by selecting a predetermined heating function, a food family as well as its weight and, then by pressing on a button, triggers said heating sequence. The control means determine the heating sequence (browning device and/or device for the generation of microwave energy) thus computing the heating time of the cooking apparatus so that the foodstuff will be subjected to the best treatment possible.
However a family of foodstuffs generally includes several types of foodstuffs. The GAME family includes, for example, chicken, duck, Guinea fowl, quail, pheasant . . . . The control means, after analysis of the selected family, determines a heating sequence which is adapted to the average population of the family of foodstuffs and not to each type of foodstuff. Moreover, for lightweight foodstuffs and whose heating sequence causes at least the browning device to kick in, the heating sequence calculated by the control means permits obtaining either a foodstuff that is too brown but insufficiently cooked, or an overcooked foodstuff but not sufficiently browned. The heating sequence calculated does not therefore always correspond exactly to the desire of the user, namely to obtain a sufficiently cooked and browned foodstuff no matter what the type and weight of the foodstuff to be treated.